The invention relates to an apparatus for recording and/or reading information by means of a radiation beam, which apparatus comprises a frame, a turntable for supporting a disc-shaped information carrier, which turntable is rotatable about an axis of rotation, a slide which is movable in an at least substantially radial direction relative to said axis of rotation, and a scanning device carried on the slide. The scanning device includes a first section secured to the slide, a second section which is movable relative to said first section and which includes an objective lens having an optical axis extending at least substantially parallel to the axis of rotation, and actuator means for moving the second section including the lens in a radial direction and along the optical axis in a focusing direction transverse to said radial direction.
The invention further relates to a scanning device suitable for use in an apparatus of the type defined in the opening paragraph. The scanning device comprises a first section, a second section which is movable relative to said first section and which includes a lens having an optical axis, and actuator means for moving the second section including the lens along a first axis transverse to the optical axis and a along a second axis which coincides with the optical axis.
An apparatus for scanning a disc-shaped information carrier by means of a radiation beam and an electro-optical scanning device used in such an apparatus are known from EP-A 0,464,912 (to which U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,014 corresponds, herewith incorporated by reference. The known scanning device has an objective lens which is movable in a focusing direction, in order to form a radiation spot on a surface to be scanned, and in a tracking direction transverse to the focusing direction, in order to follow a recording track. For this purpose the scanning device comprises a stationary section having a magnetic circuit with an air gap, a section which is movable relative to the stationary section and carries said lens, and coils for driving the movable section with the lens. The movable section is secured to the stationary section by flexible mechanical suspension means.
The known scanning device is used in an optical player, which also comprises a turntable and a slide. The slide, which carries the scanning device, is movable relative to the turntable along a radial path, which radial path extends in said tracking direction.
Such a player is suitable inter alia for reading disc-shaped optical information carriers carrying information in a plurality of concentric tracks or quasiconcentric tracks together forming a spiral information track. When the information carrier is rotated by means of the turntable it is possible to scan a single track in the information carrier. To scan the other tracks the objective lens should be moved over the tracks in a radial direction. A short access time to the stored information requires a rapid movement of the objective lens over the tracks. This can be achieved by a jumplike movement of the slide over a radial distance. Since this may be attended with substantial accelerations and decelerations the movable section of the scanning device may be pressed against the stationary section. This obstructs movements of the objective lens in the focusing direction during rapid movement of the slide, which may give rise to errors in the track count during a search function.